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Craft Brewing Capitals Merge Talent Through Beer Exchange

Posted July 22, 2015

Portland and The Oregon Brewers Festival Play Host to Five of New Zealand’s Best Brewers

PORTLAND, Ore. (July 22, 2015)— With the Oregon Brewers Festival in sight, a flock of beer-centric Kiwis migrate north to pour their beer and share some Oregon beer culture. In pursuit of malty and hoppy enlightenment, the five brewers from Wellington, NZ visit Portland — home to 61 different breweries. “Portland boasts more breweries than any city in the world and is known as the Beervana of USA, ” says David Cryer, the man responsible for building the partnership between Oregon and New Zealand. The brewers’ journey overseas is part of the Oregon and New Zealand Beer Culture Exchange, which encourages the sharing of ideas and experiences between Portland and Wellington, two of the world’s foremost craft beer capitals.

During their weeklong knowledge quest, the traveling brewers visit with many of Portland’s renowned brewing talents. In addition, they tour an Oregon hop field, lead tastings of their own New Zealand brews at Belmont Station, and represent the international brewing community on stage at the OBF opening ceremonies.

The exchange is a partnership between the Oregon Brewers Festival and Beervana — New Zealand’s preeminent craft beer festival. Last August, roles reversed as brewing representatives from Portland travelled to Wellington for Beervana. When describing their city’s passion for beer, the folks from Tuatara Brewery say, “It probably helps that we’re based in Wellington where beer appreciation is not so much a cult as a full-blown religion.”

Each of the five New Zealand brewers will collaborate with a Portland brewery during his stay. (Brewer’s names as seen in photos above — left to right)